One word to describe the Color Guard team at Dakota high school would be dedication. According to Madison Kline, a Dakota senior who has been on guard for her entire high school career, the color guard practices about 11 hours weekly for their football game performances. This practice doesn’t even include the summer practice that is required

from nine am to five pm, and a sleep-away camp where they will work on flag twirling for over 12 hours for about two weeks. They’ve put their heart and soul into their sport, and it shows. They practice outside in the wind and rain, throwing around 6-foot polls. On a windy day, this leads to lots of injuries. Over the years, they’ve had “2 broken fingers, many sprained ankles, bad hips, and severe back pain.” (Madison Kline) Therefore, they spend the beginning of practice stretching as a preventative measure against any injuries. But overall, this small group of just nine people puts in the effort, and they add so much to the halftime performances. Notably, the entire team echoed the same sentiment about them being a family. These nine members spend most of their weeks together and love every second. I sat down with the team and asked questions about color guard life, and here is how it went.

Why do you believe having a color guard at the

school is important?

“It brings out certain talents that some people may not even know they had” -Sadie Florka 10th grade.

What is your favorite part of color guard, and why?
“Competitions in October because it shows all the hard work that we’ve been putting in since May.”-Madison Kline 12th grade

What do you wish people at school knew about the color guard?
“That it’s a lot of work and is considered a sport”- everyone on the team

What motivates you?
“The people on the team.”- Madison Kline 12th grade

What does it mean to be a section leader?
“Set an example for new members, and if people have any questions, keep everyone on the same page.”